John Bratincevic

9.0

NOSE: A little European funk, flowers (violet?), sweet nutmeg, granite, dark berries.

TASTE: juicy berry, baking spices, a little earthy funk. Basically a juicy berry version of the nose, 90. — 2 years ago

John Bratincevic

9.0

Nose: olive, brine, bay leaf, fermenting vegetation, charcoal, some very slight (and very dark) fruit. Taste: good. Medium weight plus, a little grippy. Specific flavors less pronounced in the glass, it just tastes like a solid, subtle European style cab. This is good. Not a “deal”, but quality, worth the price @ $18. I prefer a bit more purple fruit and silky Napa goodness myself, but happy with it. — 5 years ago

Ray Vanderhoff

9.1

Macedonian Red blend of 65% Kratosija and 35% Vranec. Interesting aromas of dried cherries, rubber and purple flowers. Hint of barnyard funk. Flavors of dark cherry, black olives and black tea. Interesting red/brown color and texture. I think we opened this one at just the right time. Balanced and unique Eastern European red. — 5 years ago

Jamie Biondi

9.6

Excellent traditional European style chard. Reminds me of Mersault. — 6 years ago

with Brad

barak heller hayun

9.1

this bottle takes me back to Alsace.
i spent a weekend in Strasbourg in 2006 protesting/partying in front of the European parliament that's located there.
no wine was tasted as i sticked to self imported bottle of zubrowka vodka, drops of potent LSD (that were dropped to the tail end of the vodka by a really short vicious smiling man - true story) and local pilsner beer that i remember fondly that's called 'meteor' and came in large 750ml bottles(pretty good ice cold and just ok after the sun warmed up the last 3rd of the bottle).

and now... 13 years later. different tastebuds. but I'm still the same person essentially.

100% pinot gris

off dry officially but feels dry.

14% ABV

pale green 👀

🧀 rind, green apple, pear, very fresh lemon and finely chopped greens👃

full body. I'm guessing the rs helps to build it.
medium plus acidity.

creamy, tart and a bit fruity with added white pepper and maybe even ginger 👄

long lingering pleasent creamy 🎯 like tasty and slightly bitter 🍬

great wine, no doubt about it.
tasty and complex, plays with you and changes every sip, but always superb.

excelent vfm (110 nis). expensive but works hard for your money.

need to try the winery Riesling now.

had it all day on it's own while vacationing.
soft and spicy cheese platter could have helped but I'm too full. — 7 years ago

Connor Smith

9.2

With the Wine Blight laying waste to her vineyards, France went from 8:1 exporter in 1870 to 6:1 importer in 1887. Legions of wine farmers faced total financial ruin. With no cure - or even a proper diagnosis - in sight, many saw no option but to flee to lands not yet affected.

The influx of institutional knowledge that flooded into former backwater wine regions like Rioja catapulted them into relevance, and soon matured into a world-class standard. The farmers had found respite, but couldn't run forever. By the time Phylloxera crossed the Pyrenees, however, there would be new ways to fight back.

French botanist Jules-Emile Planchon had a theory. If the blight was caused by a microscopic American insect as he suspected, perhaps grafted European varieties on American rootstock would be resistant. This would be confirmed by Missouri entomologist Charles Riley, and with millions of rootstocks supplied by Texas horticulturalist T.V. Munson, the Wine Blight was soon in remission.

(This is adapted from notes for Le Dû’s Wines ‘History of Wine 1453AD-Present’ seminar, where this wine was poured) — 7 years ago

Bonnie Chu

9.0

Slow wine 🇮🇹 tasting! 4000L European oak, not French oak — 2 years ago

Mel Carrico

9.1

Tart and juicy — 4 years ago

Kurtis Epp

9.0

Nice Sauvignon Blanc - typical for this region. I’ve been enjoying the complexity of European Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé, but this wine is solid. — 5 years ago

Daniel M

9.0

A trip down memory lane. I understand now why I liked it so much around 10 years ago. It's the rich smell of spices, banana and yeast. It's the strong carbonated mouthfeel and the delicate caramel notes along with a nice bitterness which sticks onto the tongue for a very long while. It's rich, it's intense and it's strong. I grew a bit tired of it's richness which is as opposed as one can imagine to the eastern European lagers I'm used to these days. Very nice moment — 6 years ago

Ray Vanderhoff

8.9

Extremely complex and full of acidity. Aromatics of lemon, Granny Smith apple, basil, wet stones and rubber. The pallet features flavors of lemon pith, peach, green apple and slate. Straw colored and lively. Hint of fruity sweetness on the finish. Nice FLX expression of this outstanding Eastern European grape! — 6 years ago

Jay Kline

9.4

The opportunity to enjoy a small glass of this came rather unexpectedly yesterday afternoon and I’m still trying to wrap my head around the experience. I was looking over a collection of wines that needed a new home and a friend of mine who was the collection’s custodian, mentioned that he had something he had been meaning to share with me and without any fanfare, he walks back into the room with two small glasses and this ancient bottle. I hardly had any time to react before he poured me a small glass....as I looked three times to confirm that I was, in fact, drinking from a pre-war bottle of Madeira. The nose was stunning. A massive wave of confected fruit like candied citron. You know those beautiful syrup glazed orange (and other fruit) slices you’ll often see in European chocolate shops? Yeah...it smelled like that. Just a touch of VA. On the palate, this was totally mind bending. It’s almost all hazelnuts; remarkably dry; and there is pronounced acidity. The finish lasted for minutes. I can categorically state that this wine is very much alive and well but it’s a nerd’s wine as it’s super rustic and best served as an aperitif. — 7 years ago

Jay Kline

9.3

The Northern Rhône example in our little, impromptu North/South face-off during Christmas Eve dinner. This is a European bottled version of “Les Journaries” which is labeled there as “La Maestria”. Most of the grapes are sourced from Levet’s holdings in La Landonne. The bottle was opened about two hours prior and probably would have benefitted from being opened two days prior in retrospect. That being said, this was stunning...and positively feral. Underbrush, herbs, brambles, flowers, meat, anise, and cinnamon bark on the nose and on the palate. As striking as this is right now, the best is yet to come and these will deliver even more joy in 10-15 years. These wines are a beautiful little secret. If you must, drink after a rather protracted decant otherwise stash these deep in the cellar. For those wondering, we paired a 2009 Domaine de Beaurenard “Boisrenard” as the Southern Rhône example which, while massively different in style, was stunning in its own right. — 8 years ago

Ryan Kin

9.0

Delicious wine. Especially with European cheeses — 3 years ago

Tom Casagrande

9.1

Tastes like a Syrah from somewhere in Santa Barbara County, which is not a bad thing taste-wise. But I’m always puzzled when European countries plant grapes that are indigenous to other countries. That aside, it’s very good. Nose is complex, with animal, vegetable, and mineral qualities (plus some nice fruit). There is an intense iron quality, cured salami, ripe boysenberry, and a little tobacco leaf. In the mouth it’s dark and rich, but the tannins are well integrated and unobtrusive. Acidity is a little lower than most Northern Rhônes, but enough to maintain balance. Despite my predispositions, I like it. — 4 years ago

Kristine Champley Kelly

10

Super subtle red. Love everything about this. Serve chilled. Drank in the Eastern European wine tasting. — 6 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.1

Prior notes from March 2020 still apply. Most enjoyable and refreshing - mandarin and lime juice notes on the palate. Diminished acid. I hope European Riesling makers continue to use screw caps. Would be difficult to find an Australian Riesling producer who doesn’t use screw caps these days. — 6 years ago

Ross Bathgate

9.6

Simply magnificent. Layers and layers of nuanced spicy earthy flavors. Blew away my European guest. No Aussie fruit bomb this one, can stand toe to toe with the best Northern Rhône has to offer. — 6 years ago

Paul T, Missing My Beautiful Wife 24/7

9.3

Need to throw a cheapie in once in awhile, for a regular price of $10.00 - $12.00 its a multi case buy. Nice new oaked Chardonnay glass from Riedel
— 7 years ago

Matt Austin

Owner/Winemaker, Grosgrain Vineyards, Walla Walla, WA

9.2

Not many European producers got the hot 2003 vintage right, but Tempier did. — 7 years ago